Pattada Gombe Alankara

Pattada Gombe in Kannada means, the royal dolls and Alankara means decoration. Many households have a custom of arranging dolls during Dasara festival in Mysore and distribute sweet and savories to children. This is also known as Kolu in Iyengar households. Various dolls are arranged and the main dolls are the King and the Queen. The King and Queen dolls are made of Chandana / Rosewood. These dolls are gifted to the girl on her wedding day by her parents. You can also buy the dolls in shops in Karnataka. Every year, few days before Dasara, the Pattada Gombe / King and Queen dolls are decorated using different materials. Credit for decorating the dolls in the pictures below goes to my mom.